FC: Ashcroft & friends: We'll try again to ban "morphed" child porn

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Wed May 01 2002 - 12:18:16 PDT

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    Attorney General John Ashcroft and friendly congresscritters held a press 
    conference today where they swore to find a way to ban "morphed" child porn 
    and circumvent those pesky Supreme Court justices. The anti-pornsters 
    outlined a new bill called the "Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention 
    Act of 2002." (A terrible name, since its COPPA abbreviation will 
    inevitably be confused with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 
    1998. Talk about a lack of imagination.)
    
    I've placed the bill here:
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.html
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.doc
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.bill.050102.wpd
    
    One section applies to anyone who "provides any obscene matter or child 
    pornography, or any visual depiction that is, or is virtually 
    indistinguishable from, that of a pre-pubescent child engaging in sexually 
    explicit conduct..."
    
    This comes after the Supreme Court struck down Congress' previous effort, 
    the "Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996," as unconstitutional:
    http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=morphed
    
    Rhetoric was high at today's press conference:
    http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,52230,00.html
    >"I hope this legislation meets the standard set by the Supreme Court," 
    >said Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida). "Pedophiles do not have a First 
    >Amendment right to gawk over exploited children, real or virtual."
    
    Foley (best known, perhaps, for judging the Congressional Art Competition 
    and opening up FBI databases so volunteer groups can check names against 
    them) has placed his statement here:
    http://www.gop.gov/item-news.asp?N=20020501102427
    
    More background on the bill, as supplied by the Justice Department:
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.factsheet.050102.doc
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.factsheet.050102.wpd
    
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.summary.050102.doc
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/doj.childporn.summary.050102.wpd
    
    Of course we knew this was coming. See what I sent to Politech last night:
    
    "Sen. Orrin Hatch vows a second try at 'morphed' kiddie porn law"
    http://www.politechbot.com/p-03467.html
    
    -Declan
    
    
    
    
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